(a) The State Board of Social Work Examiners is continued. On
July 1, 2011, the State Board of Social Work Examiners is renamed
the Board of Social Work. The members of the board in office on
July 1, 2011, shall, unless sooner removed, continue to serve until
their respective terms expire and until their successors have been
appointed and qualified.

(b) The board shall consist of the following seven members who
are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the
Senate:

(1) One independent clinical social worker;

(2) Two certified social workers;

(3) One graduate social worker;

(4) Two social workers; and

(5) One citizen member.

(c) The terms shall be for five years.

(d) Each licensed member of the board, at the time of his or
her appointment, must have held a license in this state for at
least five years;

(e) Each member of the board must be a resident of this state
during the appointment term.

(f) A member may not serve more than two consecutive full
terms. A member having served two consecutive full terms may not
be appointed for one year after completion of his or her second
full term. A member may continue to serve until a successor has been appointed and has qualified.

(g) A vacancy on the board shall be filled by appointment by
the Governor for the unexpired term of the member whose office
shall be vacant and the appointment shall be made within sixty days
of the vacancy.

(h) The Governor may remove any member from the board for
neglect of duty, incompetency or official misconduct.

(i) Any member of the board immediately and automatically
forfeits his or her membership if his or her license to practice is
suspended or revoked by the board, is convicted of a felony under
the laws of any jurisdiction, or becomes a nonresident of this
state.

(j) The board shall elect annually one of its members as
chairperson who serves at the will of the board.

(k) Each member of the board is entitled to compensation and
expense reimbursement in accordance with article one of this
chapter.

(l) A majority of the members of the board constitutes a
quorum.

(m) The board shall hold at least two meetings annually. Other
meetings may be held at the call of the chairperson or upon the
written request of four members, at the time and place as
designated in the call or request.

(n) Prior to commencing his or her duties as a member of the
board, each member shall take and subscribe to the oath required by section five, article four of the Constitution of this state.

Note: WV Code updated with legislation passed through the 2016 Regular Session
The West Virginia Code Online is an unofficial copy of the annotated WV Code, provided as a convenience. It has NOT been edited for publication, and is not in any way official or authoritative.